Friends from youth
by Eden Raid
Summary: Ledah and Ein have known each other until the death of a certain Grim Angel... however, when was the first time they had met?


Chapter 1:Right way of Prayer

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---Ledah's POV---

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Like usual, I was in the library, reading numerous books that caught my interest. Many books did catch my interest, and the disappointing fact is that I couldn't read them all in one day like I wanted at times. I was only five, so I was somewhat slow at reading. It took me two days to read a six hundred paged book. I do take a really long time reading books... but then again, I just finished my fifth book for the day. It was about near to noon, and I went to the library around eight in the morning. Reading took up so much time so quickly...

I got up from the chair I always sat on when I read a library book, taken off of the shelf. It was mainly because the seat was so near the category I took interest in. The books of Riviera's history always amused me. Utgard... and the war between demons and the gods were fascinating. And to say that was centuries ago...! I could never imagine that far off back in time, no matter how hard I tried... well, at least I think. Anyhow, with the books in my hand, I walked over to the librarian.

She was a tall, slim lady. Around the age of eighteen, I suppose. Her knowledge in which books to suggest reading was rather a interesting thing. She knew just the right books to mention, and everything concerning a library! Her short black hair looked really silky, and the dark brown eyes she had matched it along with it too. Her skin was pretty average, while mine was so... pale, as how others recalled to it as. Recalling from my memories, I believe her name was Laura... Or something close to that. I hope I won't say the wrong name, otherwise, I'd probably sound right-off rude and hurt her feelings. Hurting others' feelings just wasn't my thing.

"Ah, Led, came to borrow more books? Your conviction to finish reading the entire Riviera History column is a rather strong one...! This is about the twentieth book you borrowed from that particular shelf, right? I'm sure you'd be so knowledgable by the time you're done." Although I had to admit, she sure liked talking.

"Yes... in total from what I am borrowing now, I borrowed about forty books based on Riviera and Asgard's history."

She smiled at me with her warmthining smile that always made me feel comfortable around her, "Well, I'll be waiting for you until the nex time you come! Which will be... tomorrow or later on today, right? You should go now, your parents might get worried!"

I looked up at her, "My father doesn't live with me... and my mother is usually off somewhere else. In short, I'm home by myself most of the time. Schedule isn't really of importance to me, due to that."

"Oh... I'm sorry, Led..." She sort of dropped her head, and I immediately regretted what I said.

"You don't have any fault in it... I'm sorry if I brought up something you probably didn't want to hear... anyhow, I guess I must get going. See you later, Miss Laura." I greeted as I turned to walk away.

"Bye, Led!" I heard her call out my sobriquet that she used as I waved back at her, just before closing the entrance.

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Soon enough, I was 'home'. It wasn't too bad, nor too good. It looked pretty okay from the inside, but half the house inside is sort of messy. The other half is... pretty okay. I mean, the dirty half used to be my father's side, and the clean half was my mother's. My father wasn't home often, and my mother only cleaned her room and the daily rooms she went in-excluding mine; I took care of my own room.

But father's side was always clean... until, that is, he stopped coming home. Mother never mentioned or wanted to tell me why... perhaps he cheated on her? Or was it that he didn't want me, so he was forced to leave mother? That second thought always gave me the chills... but my mother said it wasn't true. Or was she simply lying? So many doubts...

Shaking the thoughts out of my head, I unlocked the door and went inside. It was same as usual for the last two years; one side is clean, the other is dirty like garbage. I don't even know why mother keeps that part of the room to stay as father's, when he didn't come home for two years. Normally, people would move it around and give the room to someone else, or use it for different purposes. Mother just... left it there like a museum.

"Where have you been?" I never expected it, so I jumped up in surprise by instinct.

I turned, to see my mother standing in front of me. She had beautiful gold hair, kind of curly, that curled in at the end. It reached down to her waist, and it was silky, just like Miss Laura's. Like me, she had pale skin; I believe I gained that part of my aspects from her. She rarely goes out, and whenever she does, she stays in shops and restaraunts often to avoid sunlight. I never knew the reason why she avoided sunlight in the first place. I got that in my blood, so I usually hide under the library's roof.

Also, my mother was wearing a crimson dress. Not a robe, but a dress, like a gown. It reached down to her ankles, where it reveaveld her wearing red leather shoes. The dress was long sleeved, and it was puffed up in her wrist point, causing her hand to be surrounded by the fabric. She had a golden ring on her left ring finger, and she never took it off either... that earned my attention most of the times.

With her sapphire eyes staring into my crimson ones, I was forced to reply, "At the library..." It sounded more like a squeak rather than an actual sentence to me.

"How many times have I told you; there are enough books here in this house." I was able to sense a hint of fury in her voice; bad sign.

"I'm sorry, mother..." I just had to apologize and avoid her bad side... mother was short-tempered.

"You think you can keep on saying sorry and get away from your troubles? You have thought wrong, young man." She approached me and grabbed my wrist.

I showed no resistance. Mother was around in mid-thirties, and I was only a mere five year old. She was much stronger than me in comparison of our strength, and even in intelligency. I sometimes wonder, is that where I got my so-called intelligency that Miss Laura keeps commenting on? But still... mother's grip is hardening, and it's starting to hurt... and then she started dragging me to my room. Painful was the first word that came into mind as this happened.

I knew why mother was so furious with me for just spending my time in the library. But I still disobeyed her. The books there are so interesting, that I can't stop going there...! But due to my obsession over the library and the books it contained, mother found it as a bad influence. She wanted me to read the books she once did when she was younger, but I wanted to read the library books instead. I think that sort of hurt her feelings when I always left to the library during spare time.

"Now, you stay in your room and repent of your sins, young man." With that said, mother practically threw me into my room, and slammed the door shut-locking it from the outside.

My room was pretty small, yet that's what gave it a cozy feeling. I had a small desk and chair combo, a bed that was able to fit me in pretty well, and a shelf filled with books. The colors of the wall was like average house's; white. I had little furnitures in my room, but I liked it that way. Too much things would cramp up the room and take up space...

Alright, mother told me to repent of my sins, and so I will. Lately, I've been rebelling against mother... just like any other child. I've been spending most of my time at the library, therefore giving me little time with mother... like my father. Also, I've been skipping my tutors lately. For about a month now. I wonder if this is what really turned on mother the most...

True, I didn't go to a public school. I didn't like it, because I had no friends there. Instead of friends, it was always bullies. Even at such a young age of mine, I often got into fights last year. It wasn't me who started them, it was the bullies. In fact, I didn't fight back at all. They would just hit me over and over, until a teacher or someone spotted them and pulled them away from me. Other students weren't much of an help though... they'd either get too frightened to go and tell, or they would cheer them on to beat the pulp out of me. I really disliked that second action. Their actions always showed me that they didn't care about me...

Of course, I was always being bullied. The teachers finally got fed up the twentieth time I was caught up in a bully's hit. Then, they called my mother. I was practically forced out of school for safety from them! Even though I had no friends, I liked going to school! I wanted to gain more and more intelligency, but no, they just had to get me out and force me to get tutors. I didn't like my tutors. Nor did they like me back. The main reason why I didn't like them was because they were always repeating the same thing over and over. It makes me think that I only know one thing of each subject...

Now, back to repenting of sins. I'll now have to pray to the gods to ask them for my forgiveness... I'm not very good at prayers, but I've been forced to do it lately. Even though I did it so many times now, I still wasn't very good at making excellent prayers. Or so my mother says. Well, here goes nothing.

O almighty Gods, hear my prayer. I am here to ask of thy cleansing power of your mercies. Please forgive I, the rebellious child...

That sounded awkward... but mother always made me say 'I', instead of 'My' too much. In the end, it sounded like nonesense to me. But I'm sure the gods understood what I meant. After all, the gods weren't called gods for nothing. My mother even said that gods liked it when prayers were said correctly... I'm not very sure about that one. I mean, just because someone says something that almost sounded like nonsense, they like you? Oh, please...

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**---Authoress' Notes---**

**This is my first time doing a male's POV, so it may not be that good! Anyhow, I pretty much don't know a thing of Ledah's past, but oh well... so most of this story is fiction, like it's supposed to be. Anyway, R&R! **


End file.
